


Below the Stars

by orphan_account



Series: Forest AU's [1]
Category: In the Forest of Huckybucky, The Huckybucky Forest
Genre: :), An AU in which Marvin and Claus have been friends since they were kits, Fluff, I'm Sorry, M/M, everything I've made for this ship is syruo, guys it's so sappy, it's syrup, midnight talks, the Tree - Freeform, those with diabetes be warned, you might not survive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 15:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12843726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Claus can't sleep. Marvin can't sleep either.





	Below the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> In which Marvin and Claus have been friends since childhood.

A mouse was sitting in the top of a tree, gazing up at the starry midnight sky and thinking about life. He was wondering how much was real, and how much was not.

                When he was young, he had befriended a lonely, bullied fox called Marvin, and now, almost ten years later, they were still friends. Best friends, even.

                Claus Climbermouse –that was the mouse’s name- was playing softly on his ukulele, a tune without rhythm or meaning. He did that a lot. Played and sung, I mean. That was one of the three things he loved above everything else on Earth. Singing, having fun, and-

                He froze at the sound of footsteps approaching the tree, but when he recognized them, he relaxed again and resumed his playing. “…Claus?” a voice called up to him.

                Never once taking his eyes off the sky or his fingers of the strings, Claus smiled. “Yes, Marvin?”

                “…I can’t sleep.”

                This time Claus did stop playing. He turned around to stare down at the fox. “Nightmares?” he asked softly, frowning in concern.

                Looking away from him and crossing his arms, Marvin flattened his ears. “…maybe…”

                “You want me to play for you?” Claus asked, already preparing himself to climb down from the tree.

                “…maybe…” Marvin repeated.

                A few seconds later Claus was down on the ground and taking off his cape. He offered it wordlessly to Marvin, who took it without hesitating. Shuffling around a bit to get comfortable, Claus cleared his throat and begun to play.

                “ _Sleep tight, lithe bird,  
                now the sun is setting_

_all mice across the world_

_they are forgetting_

_sleep tight, tippie toe,_

_lay down on you bed_

_the fox is also sleeping now_

_with his tail under his head.”_

After singing this a few times, Claus’ mind went blank, and he just continued to sing without counting or caring anymore. He knew this song by heart; it was etched with fire into his bones. It wasn’t hard to repeat it like this. Mindlessly. Thoughtlessly.

                A sound to his left caused him to fall out of the trance like state, and he turned around to face Marvin, raising his eyebrows in a silent question. Usually, Marvin was asleep by now, but he seemed fully wake and alert tonight. His face was blank and void of emotion, his head tilted lightly and his ears perked. “Claus,” he said slowly, and Claus closed his mouth around the next words. “I think I’m in love with you.”

                Claus froze, and the motion caused the song to stop abruptly with an unpleasant sound. “What.” Surely, he must have misheard him? He couldn’t have said- had he really said-

                Marvin widened his eyes, and a spark of fright lit them up for a moment. He then sighed and turned around. Away from Claus. “…nevermind.”

                “Wh- no!” Claus exclaimed, hastily placing his instrument on the ground and crawling closer to the fox. “Marvin-!”

                “Shut up,” he begged softly, breaking Claus off and still not turning around. “I don’t need your apologies or pity.”

                Claus froze again. “…apologies?”

                “Obviously,” Marvin scoffed, “’I’m sorry, Marvin, I’m not gay,’ is a good one,” he said, sitting up and crossing his arms. “Or, if you by any small chance _is_ , then it’ll be: ‘Sorry, Marvin, I’m not attracted to foxes.’ That’s a classic.”

                Still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that oh, his childhood crush was in love with him, Claus frowned. “Wh- while I’m not gay,” he said, and Marvin scoffed. “I _am_ bisexual.” Marvin opened his mouth, probably about to say something sarcastic, but Claus stopped him by raising a paw. “I’ve never met any other foxes besides you,” he reminded him, and smiled softly. “So I don’t know how I feel about them. I do, _however_ ,” he hurried to add when Marvin was about to interrupt him _again_. “Know that I find- you- attractive.”

                This time Marvin was the one to freeze, and he had to blink three times before he spoke again. “You- you find me attractive?” he whispered.

                Claus nodded once. “I- uhm,” he muttered, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Have kind of- been in love with you- for- for years…” he added, looking down at the ground and fiddling with his fingers, clenching and unclenching his paws.

                “You- why didn’t you- why didn’t you _say anything_?” Marvin hissed, turning to face him completely. “Claus, look at me!”

                Claus did. “Because I- I didn’t think you could love me back,” he whispered. “I’m a mouse.”

                “I’m a fox,” Marvin countered, and pulled him into a hug. “You really love me?”

                Wrapping his arms around his friend, Claus nodded into the crook of his neck. “I do,” he whispered. And then, after a few moments, “Do you think you could fall asleep like this?”

                Lying down on the ground and curling his tail around them both, Marvin snorted. “Probably. Why?”

                “I don’t ever want to let go.”

               


End file.
